Prayer for country: Better gun laws

After listening to the reports of the most recent mass killings in one of our elementary schools, I have not heard one word of sorrow from the NRA or the senators and representatives whom this organization has bought and paid for. I have no way of knowing how much each and every legislator receives in actual dollars from payoffs or in the value of the actual votes to support something for which they will benefit financially.

Please do not accept my ignorance of the actual monetary value of each of their votes as my acceptance of their right to kill our children in order to enrich themselves, and don't give me the old song and dance about our constitutional right to bear arms. That does not give anyone the right to kill our citizens.

The CAR that I drive is a DEADLY WEAPON in the same way that a GUN is a DEADLY WEAPON if not handled properly. I must be over a certain age and take a written and a driving test before I can obtain a license to drive my car, and I must renew this license every four years. I am only allowed to drive my car in specific areas, within specific speeds and with all safety equipment on my vehicle in good working condition. My driving is monitored by city, county and state police. My right to drive can be restricted or denied if I do not comply with all city, county, state and national laws.

Because the NRA is such a powerful organization that most of our legislators cower at the thought of voting for any sort of control regarding the ownership and the use of firearms, we are left with no control over the MISUSE of firearms. Common sense requires that we require at least as much testing and monitoring of guns as we do of motor vehicles, boats and airplanes.

The fact that our Constitution gives us the right to bear arms in no way gives us the right to murder our fellow citizens. The family records I am privy to indicate that the women in my family generally live to 90 years of age, give or take a year or two on either side. I am 79 years of age and my heartfelt prayer for my country is that I may live to see the lawmakers of this country strengthen their spines and tighten their sphincters enough to enable them to enact laws to guaranty our right to bears arms and at the same time require us to obey laws that prohibit our misuse of this right.